Amusement device



Feb. 6, 1945. I. F. HOWARD 2,368,989

AMUSEMENT DEVICE 2 Sheets-Sheet l Filed Dec. 21, 1.943

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Patented Feb. 6. 1945 AMUSEMENT DEVICE Ira Francis Howard, .Marco, Fla., assignor to Ir Howard, Marco, Fla.

Application December 21, 1943, Serial No. 515,157

3 Claims.

This invention relates to an amusement device especially adapted for affording a maximum amount of pleasure and thrills to a number of persons by providing rides for said persons wherein the riders will be subjected to various movements of travel simultaneously. The primary object of the invention is the provision of a power driven supporting structure made to rotate about a vertical axis and groups of cars for the persons carried by the supporting structure and movable therewith and made to rotate'about horizontal axes with seating arrangement for the persons in the cars free to rotate by gravity within the cars.

With these and other objects in view as will become more apparent as the description proceeds, the invention consists in certain novel features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts as will be hereinafter more fully described and claimed. 7

For a complete understanding of my invention, reference is to be had to the following description and accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a top plan view illustrating an amusement device constructed in accordance with my invention.

Figure 2 is a side elevation illustrating the device.

Figure 3 is a vertical sectional view illustrating one of the cars.

Figure 4 is a longitudinal sectional view showing one of the cars and the seating arrangement therein.

Figure 5 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view illustrating the driving means.

Referring in detail to the drawings, the numeral 5 indicates a base on which is mounted a vertically disposed supporting sleeve 6 carrying at its upper end and fixed thereto a ring gear I. Journaled in the sleeve 6 and extending a considerable distance above the ring gear is a driven shaft 8 provided 'With a gear 9 confined within the sleeve 5. A gear l meshes with the gear 9 and is secured to a propeller shaft II. The propeller shaft includes a clutch l2 and is coupled to a power source [3.

The upper end of the shaft 8 has a head I4 to which is secured a plurality of downwardly and outwardly extending braces I forming integral parts of horizontally disposed bearing sleeves I6 rotatably supporting shafts I! that extend radially from the shaft 8 and have secured to their inner ends gears H which mesh with the ring gear I. The bearing sleeves l6 are connected by horizontally arranged braces I8.

Arms 19 are secured to the free or outer ends of the shafts I1 and are provided with substantially V-sha-ped end portions 20 formed on cars 21. Thus it will be seen through the arrangement of the arms I9 that a pair of cars are connected to each of the shafts I! for rotation about a horizontal axis and also for movement in a circular path about a vertical axis.

The cars 2| are provided with doors 22 to provide entrance therein and have rotatably mounted therein seats 23 for the purpore of accommodating one or more persons.

Each ,seat 23 includes a cylindrical body 24 journaled in the bottom wall of the car, as shown at 25, and have connected to their upper open ends substantially V-shaped connected members 26 provided with a pintle 2'! journaled in the arms 19. The top walls of the cars are provided with openings 28 through which the bodies 24 extend. Arranged within the bodies are seat elements 29 whereby the person or persons may take 1 comfortable seated positions. If desired, suitable restraining devices may be provided in the body to retain the person therein during the travel .of the person in the car in the paths indicated by the arrows in Figures 1 and 2.

In operation, when the shaft 8 is driven by the power source I3, the shafts H are compelled to rotate about horizontal axes due to their connection with the ring gear causing the arms l9 to rotate about the shafts I'I astheir axes causing 1 the cars of each pair to travel in vertical circular paths.

During said movement of the pairs of cars they also travel in a horizontal circular path, thereby subjecting the persons within the cars to travelin various directions simultaneously. The cars rotatingin vertical paths as before specified and with the seats rotatable within the cars, the

within the cars by gravity may be first in one y direction and then in an opposite direction.

While I have shown and described the preferred I embodiment of my invention, it will be understood that minor changes in construction, combinationand arrangement of parts may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as claimed.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

1. In an amusement device, a supporting structure, a vertical power driven shaft journaled on said structure, a frame secured to the shaft, horizontal shafts journaled on the frame and cars secured to the horizontal shafts for rotation therewith in vertical paths and. for movement in ahorizontal path about a vertical axis seats jour naled in the cars for free pivotal movementaloout axes at right angles'tothe axes of the horizontal shafts, and means for driving said shafts.

2. In an amusement device, a supporting struc ture, a frame secured to the shaft, horizontal ture, a vertical 'power driven shaft journaled pn said structure, a ring gear secured to said struc-j ture, a frame secured to the shaft, horizontal shafts journaled on the frame and gearedto the ring gear, cars secured to thezhorizontahshafts shafts jou naled on :the frame and extending radially "from the vertical shaft and geared. to the ring gear, arms secured intermediate their ends to the horizontal shafts, cars secured to the tends of the arms, seats mounted for rotation in 15 the cars and journaled in the latter and on the -;arms,;on axes at right angles to the axes of the I horizontal shaft.

'. :IRA FRANCIS HOWARD. 

